1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to the general field of animal toys and pacifiers, such as artificial bones and coiled rawhide strips for dogs. In particular, the invention provides a tooth cleaning toy especially designed for cats and a method for its manufacture from fin fish skin.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Everyone knows that dogs like to play with chewable toys and that the activity is helpful in keeping their teeth clean. Therefore, it is highly recommended that dog pets be provided with real bones or artificial substitutes for their day-to-day playful enjoyment and tooth care. Many different products have been developed toward both ends.
Fowler U.S. Pat. No. 2,185,547 (1940), describes a version of the classic dog bone. It consists of an object shaped like a bone and covered with a layer of untanned, dry, beef hide. The cover is made of two portions stitched together around the bone-shaped core.
Beck U.S. Pat. No. 3,107,651 (1953) discloses an edible toy ball for dogs. It is made of a strip of digestible material rolled around an axis perpendicular to its length. Since the width of the strip gradually decreases from a size corresponding to the desired ball diameter to a thin line, the wrapping of the strip around itself causes it to produce a well rounded ball of chewable material.
Fisher U.S. Pat. No. 3,123,047 (1964) shows a simulated animal bone and pacifier constructed with molded rawhide. The rawhide is either shaved, shredded, or beaten into pieces and then wetted and molded into the desired form. Then it is dried to produce various shapes of molded bones.
Finally, Fisher U.S. Pat. No. 3,198,173 (1965) describes a coiled rawhide animal toy. The toy consists of a strip of hide rolled into an elongated coiled configuration that provides the animal with an attractive geometry to play with. Because the hide is digestible, it is an acceptable solution for owners in order to provide their dogs with the necessary means for cleaning their teeth.
These animal toys are effective for dogs, but none seem to appeal to the curiosity and needs of cats. In particular, cats are generally not attracted by rawhide, which is the main constituent of most chewable toys for animals. Therefore, there still exists a need for a toy that is specifically designed to provide cats with a chewable instrument capable of cleaning the cat's teeth while the animal is playing with it.